Why Cities Will Thrive in the Information Age

During the previous century, the auto was the dominant technology—giving rise to low-density communities beyond the boundaries of the central cities, suburban shopping malls, and ultimately to a new form of development: the edge city. In the 21st century, the convergence of telecommunications and computing technologies and reductions in the cost of transmitting and processing information will transform the fundamental elements of urban society: the office, the home, the hotel, the automobile, the factory, even the restaurant and warehouse. This paper explores the ways in which information technologies will shape cities in the 21st century and the challenges that such technologies pose for urban and regional development. The full text of this story is limited to ULI members.

Thanks to Urban Land Magazine